Mahanoy City Man's Death Remains A Mystery

Richard Price Sr. knew District Justice Daniel Grow of Mahanoy City was set to have him arrested Friday for failure to settle a $511 civil suit for property damage.

So Price called Grow and assured him he would stop by Monday. Grow agreed.

But Price, 37, of 15 E. Market St., would not live long enough to see Grow again.

His body was found in a wooded section of Allentown, along Jordan Creek, on Saturday.

Grow's willingness to give Price a chance to make good on the civil suit is one detail in what turned out to be the last hours Price was alive, according to Grow and others yesterday.

Allentown police are investigating Price's death, which they have termed suspicious, and yesterday said they have no new details.

Lehigh County Coroner Wayne Snyder said yesterday autopsy results may be released within the next few days.

Price's live-in girlfriend, Karen Dutton, last saw him about 11 a.m. Saturday, according to Mahanoy Police Chief John W. Lewis. Dutton told police she did not know where Price was going or with whom, and waited until the next day to report him missing because she thought he would be back.

Lewis said he did not know why Price was in Allentown, or how he got there.

Price was legally blind and did not have a driver's license. However, the arrest warrant in Grow's office was the result of a hit-and-run accident last November, in which Price was the driver.

Price never showed up for a Feb. 1 hearing on the hit-and-run, and Grow found in favor of the plaintiff.

Lewis said he did not know Price well, but recalled having seen him conduct banking business, squinting and holding documents just a few inches from his face to read them. He said Price several times was involved in minor incidents, but was never charged with any major offenses.

Grow said he "wouldn't even try to guess" how many times Price was charged with summary offenses, most of which had been disposed before his death.

Price had two truancy citations, one public drunkenness citation and one harassment citations pending, Grow said. Price had entered into a payment plan to settle the fines.